A drop-side crib seems like a great idea when you first buy it. Now you can just fold the side over or slide it down if needed and get to your child with relative ease. This is especially nice if your back and shoulders are already sore from carrying the child around and caring for it.
While the benefits are clear, it’s also important to note that these cribs can be inherently dangerous, and they could injure your child.
First off, there are different dangers for different types of cribs. In some designs, the whole side will slide down on one side—or both sides. In other designs, the top of the side will fold over.
The fold-over designs can be dangerous because a child’s small hands and fingers could get pinched in the crib. Additionally, if a child is standing and holding the edge, he or she could fall if the latch doesn’t hold and the side folds down unexpectedly.
In the sliding designs, the hardware can sometimes slip out of place. When this happens, a gap may appear between that sidewall and the mattress. Small children can fall into this gap and get stuck. This is a serious risk for very young children, who could suffocate when they can’t get out.
If you’re tempted to think this isn’t a big deal, just remember that over 9 million of these cribs have been recalled in less than the last ten years. The parents of children who have been hurt or even killed by these drop-side cribs need to know their rights to compensation in Illinois.
Source: FIndLaw, “Drop-Side Cribs,” accessed Jan. 14, 2016